Some new research has revealed a surprisingly effective tool in the fight against a certain species of toxic grass fungus: moose saliva.
In a recent article published by York researchers, it’s been shown that moose and reindeer saliva actually slow fungus growth and diminish toxicity when applied to certain species of toxic grass.
“Plants have evolved defense mechanisms to protect themselves, such as thorns, bitter-tasting berries and, in the case of certain types of grass, by harbouring toxic fungus deep within them that can be dangerous or even fatal for grazing animals,” York biology Professor Dawn Bazely explains. “We wanted to find out how moose were able to eat such large quantities of this grass without negative effects.”
Inspired by an earlier study that showed that moose grazing and saliva distribution can have a positive effect on plant growth, the research team, which included University of Cambridge researcher Andrew Tanentzap and York researcher Mark Vicar, set out to test an interesting hypothesis: whether moose saliva may, in fact, “detoxify” the grass before it is eaten.
Working in partnership with the Toronto Zoo, the team collected saliva samples from moose and reindeer, which they then smeared onto clipped samples of red fescue grass carrying the toxic fungus, simulating the effect of grazing. They found that the application of saliva produced rapid results, inhibiting fungus growth within 12 to 36 hours.
“We found that the saliva worked very quickly in slowing the growth of the fungus and the fungus colonies,” Bazely says. “In addition, by applying multiple applications of saliva to the grass over the course of two months, we found we could lower the concentration of the toxin between 41 and 70 per cent.”
Bazely says that because moose tend to graze within a defined home range, it’s possible that certain groups of plants are receiving repeated exposure to the moose saliva, which over time has resulted in fewer toxins within their preferred area.
“We know that animals can remember if certain plants have made them feel ill, meaning they’ll avoid these plants in the future,” Bazely says. “This study is the first evidence, to our knowledge, of herbivore salvia being shown to ‘fight back’ and slow down the growth of the fungus.”